| Shredders
Types of Shredders
Shredders vary according to how they are used and the types of materials
that will be destroyed.
Personal Shredders
Are designed for infrequent use by one person. These models typically
require a strict diet of paper in order to avoid jams and breakdowns.
Personal models take 2-8 sheets at one pass.
Commercial
Grade Shredders
Are much larger units, designed to handle many more documents. These
models are equipped with higher power motors that allow them to
chew through paper for longer periods of time. Office grade units
can usually be placed in a hallway or mail room. Due to the noise
and size, heavy duty models are most often found in a warehouse.
Purchasing
Notes
The three main considerations when buying a shredder are the types
of materials you will be shredding, the volume of shredding the
machine will be handling, and the security level your company needs
to ensure privacy.
Materials
Most shredders are designed to handle paper, with the occasional
paper clip or staple thrown in. If you plan to shred computer printouts,
you will want to find a shredder with a throat (or opening) wide
enough to allow the paper to be fed directly into the machine. There
are also shredders that can handle crumpled paper through a hopper
design.
Some shredders
can handle more than just paper. Objects like credit cards, videocassettes
and computer diskettes can be munched by these specialty shredders.
Shred Volume
The volume of paper the shredder will be handling is a second major
purchase consideration. Key characteristics to consider include
the unit's paper capacity, or how much paper can be fed at once,
as well as its shredding speed. Since shredders are not designed
to operate at its maximum paper capacity at all times, you will
want to look for a shredder than can handle about 25% more pages
than you need to shred at a time to avoid early breakdown.
Shred Type
In terms of security, most businesses find a basic strip-cut shredder
adequate for meeting their security needs. These machines cut paper
into ribbon-like strips, varying in width from 1/12" to 1".
Generally, you will want a shredder that cuts paper into a minimum
1/4" strip.
However, for
more confidential documents, cross cut shredders are preferred.
These machines cut both lengthwise and widthwise, turning a page
into 500-800 confetti-like pieces of paper. For the highest security
requirements (such as military contractors), there are high security
particle cut models that can shred a page into more than 1,500 pieces.
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